I've been playing DW legends for about 2 weeks and love it but I want some suggestions how to make the game more challenging by choices in the start up settings. I'd love to know what start up settings people choose for a challenging game.

I usually go with: Mature galaxy Normal colonies Scarce independents Highest difficulty (Sometimes, because it's just a cheat to give the AI more money it won't spend) Few pirates on average distance (So that they won't wreck the AIs' economy) Normal space creatures (The AI handles them pretty well) Harsh homesystem Highest corruption (only for a very hardcore game because it will make colonies outside of the nearby systems range o your capitals loose half or more of their income)

The rest of the settings I choose at random (with a dice ) or go with what I feel like would be good.

Theluin has some good tips there. If you like more challenge, you can change the starting level, setting your starting level at "Starting" and the AI's starting level at "Mature". I've found giving the AI more money (with higher difficulty settings) does not necessarily help all that much, since I usually get all their money in tech trading anyhow.

Question to Theluin: Is that actually hurting you more than the AI? I've never messed with the corruption slider, but I wonder, especially with "mature" galaxy settings: The AI would potentially be making money / revenue from colonies, whereas you (the player) almost never do (I have tax at 0 for huge portions of the game for everything except conquered planets and my own HW), making corruption almost a negligable factor -- but I play in galaxies, so far, in which EVERYONE starts as "Starting". But if you start on "starting", and the AI has a lot of developed colonies it is not earning income with (b/c of high corruption), this is perhaps a bonus for you?